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Facts About Westmont

The area known as Westmont was inhabited by the Potawatomi Indians prior to the year 1833. The U.S. Government made several unsuccessful attempts to persuade the Indians to move from this area, until, in the year 1833, the Indians held a general council in Chicago and, under coercion, agreed to vacate their land for a nominal payment. The Indians had established an elaborate system of trails, which later became the settler’s first highways including The Buffalo Trail and the Ottawa and LaSalle Trail. The Buffalo Trail, today named Naperville Road, was later used as a stage line between Chicago and Naperville. The Ottawa and LaSalle Trail is today designated as Ogden Avenue or Route 34. The first permanent settler in DuPage County was Bailey Hobson who passed through the Westmont area in the year 1829, on his way to the Naperville Settlement. The French trapper and hunter, Francois DuPage, after whom the county was named, traveled through the area in the late 18th century. Father Pierre Marquette is reported to have walked through the township during his visit to the Indians on the banks of the Des Plaines River.  One of the motivating forces behind the development of Westmont may have been improved canal transportation. The Illinois-Michigan Canal can be identified with the early growth of Westmont. Although the State of Illinois authorized the building of the canal in the 1820s, construction did not begin until the 1830s. The economic panic of 1837, brought the rapidly progressing construction to a standstill, which resulted in many of the workers taking up farming in the area around Westmont.

The settlers cleared the land and agriculture became the major occupation. Because of their proximity to Chicago, the farmers had a ready market for their agricultural products. Hard work and excellent soil was attractive to New Englanders who settled here and the area around Westmont was one of the most prosperous sections of the state. A nine-mile swamp between this area and Chicago resulted in the construction of a plank road. The road originated in Chicago in the year 1840, passed through Westmont, and was completed to Naperville in the year 1851. The road, which permitted travel in all seasons, proved to be an economical means of sending farm produce to Chicago markets, even though maintenance was a huge problem. The plank road soon became inadequate for this growing area, so, in 1858, local incorporated towns and villages petitioned the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad to build a branch line from Chicago to Aurora passing through their towns. The railroad line was approved and, in 1864, the first train passed through the area. Gregg’s Station, the name by which Westmont was first known, began as a stop to load agricultural and dairy products on the train. It soon began a gradual transition from an agricultural community to a commuter community. Fields and dairy herds gave way to developments and formal platting of land began.

As of the special census of 2007, there were 26,211 people, 9,900 households, and 5,979 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,014.4 people per square mile (1,934.8/km²). There were 10,269 housing units at an average density of 2,097.1 per square mile (809.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 78.02% White, 5.38% African American, 0.13% Native American, 11.95% Asian, 2.41% from other races, and 2.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race comprised 6.98% of the population.There were 9,900 households; 29.1% of these households had children under the age of 18 living with them. 47.1% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.05. The population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males. The median income for a household in the village was $51,422, and the median income for a family was $64,472. Males had a median income of $42,909 versus $33,690 for females. The per capita income for the village was $26,394. About 3.8% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. Throughout the years, Westmont has tripled in size, expanding north and south. It continues to accommodate those looking for a comfortable suburban lifestyle with big-city accessibility and assorted cultural, educational and recreational offerings.